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I like to do things that I can when the work load is low. The work load is lowest just before I start the plane or just after I have started it and am waiting for it to warm up a bit (it is now winter in Boston). At that time, I just scan the instrument panel (without the checklist) and adjust trim, put in take-off flaps, set frequencies if radios are on, etc...
The when I taxi, do a run-up etc... use the checklist so at that point I am just checking things just set, or setting things I have not touched yet. I find it much more relaxed to do many things while sitting in the plane next to my hangar. Then go on to the usual stuff in the usual way. Redundancy is a word often used in aviation.
John Breda

I started with a shell. Mine is a 1968 F bought in disassembled condition and not airworthy at the time. No corrosion and no damage Hx. I had to make it airworthy from its location in Dallas, TX. (Doing work from a distance is hard and was a problem). This is not a problem for you as you have an airworthy plane which you can fly to be best people to perform the work. My plane was restored using J model and Ovation parts. It is insured at a price equal to most long body Mooneys. It looks like an MSE and has the upgraded gear, (J bar and hydraulic flaps).
There are pictures on my profile.
You can take an older plane to whatever level you would like. I like the efficiency and simpler maintenance of the F model. 160kts at 10,000 ft and 175 kts at 17500 ft., ROP burning 11 gph.
Yes it is turbo normalized.
It is valued by appraisers at what it is, which is no longer an F. It was a winner in the "Vintage" class at Oshkosh, but is truely a modern plane.
Be sure that the airframe is worthy, then plan what you want, find reliable and honest people to do the work, work with them so you will learn about the airframe and equipment.
If it is to be a forever plane, then the money doesn't matter as long as you manage the project well so you get your value out of the plane is usage.
John Breda

This should not be involved. With the J style yokes, you will have to also change out the yoke shafts. The binder bolt hole is 90 degrees off for the older style.
I went the next step and also changed out the yoke shafts using Ovation parts because of the bronze bearings in the aft connection. In my case, I needed a DER to sign off as I needed to change out the modified bellcrank as well. It all is doable.
John Breda

I guess I'm not alive if i don't keep finding projects to work on.......
I am looking to revise the pilot and copilot seat belts in my F. As you manual gear guys know, sometimes the seat belt buckle opens when putting the gear down (Gets hit
by rgt thumb while moving the J bar). I address this problem by shortening the belt with the buckle by about 2". That fixed the problem most of the time, but I am looking for a 100% fix.
I want to re-web my belts using the new tear-drop shaped Amsafe belt buckles and connectors used currently on airliners. These belts open with a 90 degree movement of the
buckle cover (not 20-30 degrees as in the belts I have). Thus, the problem will be completely eliminated.
I have belts with retraction reels from a 1998 Ovation. They too are Amsafe belts and buckles, but an older style not used any more. I spoke with a DER who can help
with the certification, but he needs data on the Amsafe buckles and connectors of the ones I am currently using and the new ones that I will be using, so a seat belt shop
can make the belts and the DER can approve them based on the data showing they are equivalent from an engineering and load factor standpoint.
Anyone here with information that can be helpful in this process. The new belts can be re-webbed for about $170 each. I have the hardware. Just need data and paperwork.
Also, anyone know of a DER I could consult with? Any assistance to make the project easier is appreciated. Yeah, I know I could just turn the buckle over, but that does not produce
as elegant a result as doing a bunch of extra work.
John Breda

There is no rule that is has to look exactly as the part you have. It is merely a box to place switches. You can 3D print it as was mentioned. You can make a small box using it as a fiberglass mold to lay-up fiberglass over it. Yo can also get a block of aluminum and work manually on a vertical milling machine and mill out a new box, similar to what you have.
This will be the most durable of the options and will be the last one you will every have to make.
John Breda

I have never put any sort of lubrication on my J bar handle nor the down or up lock blocks. My concern would be getting oil or silicone on the outside of the handle and the chisel shaped tip of the thumb lock. The chisel shaped thumb lock end fits into a groove in the j bar handle. I would think that a bit of friction (accomplished by not lubricating the handle) would add to keeping the chisel tip in place and locked. That is, of course, assuming that handle fits well into the down lock block and the thumb lock springs into place.
I wonder if there are some slight differences in the manner the new down lock blocks are machined. If they are geometrically out of spec. slightly, that could cause some problems.
John Breda

The F offers alot more than you would expect above a C. Cost is really not that much more, and maintenance also is not much more. I would rather have more HP and fuel injection, elimination of carb icing problems, and the ability to run lean of peak.
Having said that, if a C is really in your budget, I would not look for a "newer C" since the old C models already have the manual gear "upgrade." The Johnson bar, if rigged properly, is quick, reliable, with no need to fuss with limit switches, worm gears and a back-up system. It is its own back-up. A manual gear plane, being older offers the same upgrade options, with less expenditure up front. No matter what 50 year old plane you buy, you will probably want to do some modifications and updating. You might as well save some money up front, get the manual gear, and have a lower maintenance cost airplane. Whichever 50 year old plane you buy, the long range tanks provide safety and endurance. Both are beneficial.
John Breda

I have a one piece belly. The MOD-Works style doors are lower profile and do not require anything mounted on the wing. I have new springs, and longer retraction rods (Mooney made 3 lengths back in the day) so the springs are contracted, I think, maximally. The gear moves easily now and can be locked up with 2 fingers. Can anyone comment further. Are there any manual gear Mooneys with the Mod-Works inner gear doors?
John Breda

I used LP Aero glass. I do not think the vendor matters much. When I bought the windows, LP Aero provided a copy of the Mod Work STC. That is probably why I used LP Aero.
Be sure to drill out the window significantly larger than the screw size you are using. Also, check the countersink angle. I have attached a document from Dugosh from 10 years ago describing their process.
John Breda
Dugosh-windows.pdf

Chris:
I have 1/4" glass all the way around. They are all screwed in as with the originals, but the screws are one size larger given the dimpling in the skin and existing hole sizes. We did not need to do any work to create a step in the window. Certainly the surface facing outside is flat and original. Obviously the window needed to be trimmed to fit. I do not believe there was any thinning of the glass anywhere. The work ws done by an excellent sheetmetal mechanic who had worked at Gulfstream X 20 yers.
John Breda

The engine should at least be IRANed now, and given the age should be overhauled now. There is an AD on the oil pump on the IO360's (check on yours) that will likely need to do now. Some of the older STEC 60-2 have servos that can not be rebuilt. That may be another place in need of money. Instruments that have not been used may need overhaul. The tanks are another place where money will probably need to be spent if they have never been resealed (unlikely 50 year old sealant will be reliable). That will be about $9,000. Look beyond the paint and interior. Get a good Mooney I&A to go over everything and meticulously check for corrosion everywhere. Remember, it will be your A$$ in that plane.
Buying an older plane is not an opportunity to save money. It is an opportunity to buy an airframe for as little as possible, with hopefully no damage history, where you can do the rebuilding yourself and know what you are flying. It will not be cheaper in the end. It the plane you are looking at seems like it has been maintained, you will still need to spend money you did not anticipate spending. You can buy a 10-15 year old plane and go over the logbooks and feel like you know what you are getting. In the case of a 50 year old plane, even if taken care of, may have gremlins no one has recognized.
It is for this reason I bought a project airplane, knowing that I would be stripping it down to bare airframe and rebuilding everything. (It did a little redesigning in the process). Talk to a lot of people, know what you want to use the plane for, and realize with the state of equipment/avionics today, you may want to upgrade sooner than you think, so I would not put too much value in the equipment that is in the plane now (FYI: I do not see an S-TEC preselector in the panel).
John Breda

Chris,
I was told that they do increase the force needed to raise and lower the gear (in terms of work-load with the Johnson Bar). As such, you need
to insure that you operate the gear at lower gear speeds. The two questions are (1) Is there an airspeed increase with them? (2) is the increase in workload/management of the Johnson Bar manageable or does it just become a headache?
Is there anyone out there that has the inner gear doors on a manual gear Mooney?
John Breda

I am considering putting inner gear doors on my 1968 F model with manual gear. I am told that they do add some stiffness to the
raising and lowering of the gear. I have new main gear springs and the gear works very easily now. What experience has the
group had with adding inner gear doors to a manual gear Mooney? What speed increase do you see?
John Breda